46 . Birds of Oregon and Washington 



from our window, and seven of them are here 

 given by way of suggestion. 



Through the kindness of Mr. A. F. Hofer, of 

 Chicago, and of his son, Mr. A. F. Hofer, Jr., 

 of Salem, Oregon, I have, in my possession 

 thirty-one Meadowlark songs noted down by the 

 former, who was once a bandmaster in Germany, 

 and as a boy in the Black Forest was gifted 

 with powers to imitate the most difficult bird- 

 songs. Upon a second page, four of the most 

 striking and characteristic of these songs (I.) 

 are given, with three more (II.) taken from 

 some published in the " Auk," January, 1896, by 

 Mr. L. Belding, who wrote them down in Grid- 

 ley, California. 



Mr. Hofer heard all but three of the thirty- 

 one songs mentioned, near Salem, Oregon. He 

 says of these birds, " I never heard more than 

 one sing the same notes, although several sang 

 in the same key, yet with a different rhythm." 



Particular Description. — Head, back and tail, 

 brownish-gray, streaked with lighter shade, with a pale 

 line down the top of head and another over the eye ; all 

 below, yellow, with a black crescent upon the breast; 

 sides, gray, streaked with brown. 



